Vapor-burning apparatus.



No. 665,|07. Patanted Ian. I, I901.

A. KITSON. VAPUR BURNING APPARATUS.

(App ication filed A r. 20. 1899.)

(No Model.)

WITNESSES:

fi' I ATTORNEY- ms roams PETERS cu. Wo'mumo. wnsumcron. B4 c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR KITSON, OF' PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE KITSON HYDROOARBON HEATING AND INCANDESOENT .LIGHTIN G COM- PANY, OF SAME PLACE AND CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA.

VAPOR-BURNING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersiPatent No. 665,107, dated January 1, 1901.

Application filed April 20,1899. Serial No. 713,707. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR KITSON, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, and a resident of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vapor-Burning Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to vapor-burning apparatus; and it consists of an improved form of burner designed to operate with volatile hydrocarbon-such as gasolene, naphtha, &c.

The preferred form of apparatus embodying my invention is illustrated in'the accompanying drawing, in which the figure is a vertical central section of a lamp employing my burner.

The burner is preferably mounted on a lamp bowl or reservoir 1, into which burning fluid and compressed air may be introduced in any suitable way through the opening 2, closed by a screw-cap. The supply-pipe 3 runs from the lower portion of said reservoir up to the annular vaporizing-chamber 4. The passage of oil through the supply-tube is controlled by the valve 5.

The burner proper consists of the burnerthimble 6, the loose gauze 7, stretched across the opening in said thimble, and the circular cap 8, which fits over the burner-thimble and the gauze and retains the gauze in position. This burner-thimble islocated in the upper end of an upright tube 9, which forms the main body of the lamp apparatus and up through which tube the combustible mixture of vapor and air flows to the burner-thimble. This burner-thimble, at its upper portion at least, is of less diameter than the upperend of the tube 9 and is located within the mouth of said tube. This result can be secured by expanding the lower portion of the burnerthimble, so that it will fit the body of the tube tightly, leaving an annular space between the upper portion of the thimble and the surrounding mouth of the tube 9, or it may be done by expanding the mouth of the tube 9, as shown at 9 in the drawing, fitting the thimble into the body of the tube 9, which is of less diameter, or by both these methods conjointly, as shown in the drawing.

The annular vaporizing-chamber 4 has one of its walls, preferably the outer wall, formed by the tube 9 itself, and the other wall may be formed by the lower portion 10 of the burner-thimble, as shown in the drawing. If desired, a covering of non-conducting material 11 may be placed around the outside of the mouth of the upright tube 9, and these devices will all cooperate to conduct the greatest possible amount of heat generated in the vicinity of the burner down to the vaporizingchamber 4.

The vapor-discharge tube 12 leads from the vaporizing-chamber 4 and discharges down through a minute opening in the nozzle 13 into the upper end of the mixing-tube 14v This mixing-tube 14 is of less length and diameter than the upright tube 9 and is located within the same, preferably concentric thereto-. The lower end of the mixing-tube 14 discharges into the lower portion of the upright tube 9, which lower end is closed and preferably given a hemispherical form, as shown at 9". Air-conduits 15 15 pass through the walls of the upright tube 9 and open into the upper end of the mixing-tube 14. The needle 16, carried by the hinged arm 17, pivoted to the supporting-tube 9, passes in through one of these air-conduits 15 and when swung up by pulling on the chain 18 the needle 16 will enter the discharge-orifice in the nozzle 13 of the vapondischarge tube. 19 is an annular alcohol-cup located outside of the upright tube 9 and slightly belo the annular vaporizing-chamber 4.

20 is an incandescent mantle supported over the burner in any convenient way (not illustrated) and having its lower portion extending down into the annular space between the burner-thimble and the mouth of the upright tube 9*.

21 is a drip-cock opening out from the lower closed end of the upright tube 9. T 22 represents a gauze diaphragm which may be stretched across the upright tube 9 at the 5 mouth of the mixing-tube 14.

The method of operation of my invention is as follows: Gasolene being stored in the resthrough the supply-tube 3 through the vaporizing-chamber 4 when the valve 5 is open. In starting the lamp said valve 5 is kept closed and a quantity of alcohol in the cup 19 is ignited. First, the heat of the alcohol-flame heats the metallic parts of the tube 9 to a point sufficient to vaporize the gasolene when it is introduced into the vaporizing-chamber 1. The valve 5 is then opened, gasolene flows into the chamber 4 and is therein vaporized. The vapor passes out through the vapor-discharge tube 12 and issues in the shape of a downward jet through the orifice 13. This jet draws in air through the air-conduits 15 15, and the mixture passes down the mixing tube 14 and is discharged into the lower closed end 9 of the upright tube. Itis then forced up through said tube 9 and issues from the burner, where it is ignited and burns under the mantle 20, causing the same to give out light by incandescence. The heat of the burner and of the lower portion of the mantle 20 is transmitted by the thimble 6 and tube 9 back to the vaporizing-chamber 4 and keeps the same hot enough to continue the vaporization of gasolene, the action of the lamp thus becoming self-supporting.

If the discharge-orifice 13 becomes clogged up, the needle 16 can be swung up by pulling the chain 18. The needle will pass through the discharge-opening and free the same from any carbon or other material located therein. On withdrawing the needle to the position shown in the drawing the lamp will be left free to operate as before.

The advantages of the invention consist-in the compact structure produced, everything being contained within the single upright tube 9 and hidden from view. In spite of this compactness and simplicity a thorough vaporization of the gasolene is insured by the fact that the vaporizing-chamber is near the burner and formed by the extended metal portions of said burner itself. The vapor is thoroughly mixed with the air even within the small space afforded by the apparatus by reason of the fact that the mixture is compelled to travel back and forth and reverse its direction of flow also, the vapor-discharge pipe 12 and the inner walls of the vaporizingchamber 4 are bathed in this heated mixture and so protected from all cooling action, except that of the atmosphere on the outer wall of the chamber.

It is evident that various changes could be made in the details of construction illustrated without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention so long as the relative arrangement of parts shown in the drawing or the general principle of operation described in the specification is preserved. Other shapes might be given to the burner-thimble, the upright tn be,vapor-discharge pipe, alcohol-cu p, 850., and certain of the features of my invention might be employed without the cooperation of others therein described; but all these changes I consider matters of form and not of substance and still wi thin the scope of my invention.

The form, construction, and connections of, for example, the upright tube, the mix ing-tube, vapor-delivery tube, 650., herein shown and described, are not specifically claimed, for the reason that certain of these parts combined in various ways constitute the subject-matter of other applications now pending.

Having therefore described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is

1. In a vapor-burning apparatus the combination of the upright tube, having its upper end open, up through which the combustible mixture flows, and the burner-thimble having imperforate sides of less diameter located within said upper end of the tube, a portion only of the imperforate body of the thimble being expanded and fitting tightly into the body of the tube.

2. In a vapor-burning apparatus the combination of the upright tube with its mouth expanded, and the burner-thimble having imperforate sides of less diameter than said expanded mouth located within the same, the lower portion of said thimble fitting tightly into the body of the tube at a point below the mouth portion.

3. In a vapor-burning apparatus, the combination of the upright tube with its mouth expanded and the burner-thimble having its diameter varied throughout its length and seated in said expanded mouth, one or more portions of the body of the thimble fitting tightly into the body of the tube.

1. In a vaporizing apparatus the combination of the upright tube having its lower end closed, the burner-thimble mounted within the tube at its upper end, the annular vaporizing-chamber near the burner having one of its walls formed by the upright tube, the mixing-tube of less length and diameter than the upright tube and located within the same, the vapor-discharge tube leading from the vaporizing-chamber and discharging down into the mixing-tube, and the air-conduits through the walls of the upright tube opening into the upper end of the mixing-tube.

5. In a vapor-burning apparatus the combination of the upright tube having its upper end open to form a mouth up through which the combustible mixture flows, the burnerthimble of less diameter than the mouth of the upright tube and located within said mouth but fitting tightly the bore of the tube,and the annular vaporizing-cham ber, one wall of which is formed by said upright tube, the other wall of said vaporizing-chamber being formed by the lower portion of the burner-thimble, together with the mixingtube of less length and diameter than the upright tube and located within the same, the vapor-discharge tube leading from the vapo- 'riZing-chamber and discharging down into the mixing-tube,and the air-conduits through the walls of the upright tube opening into the upper end of the mixing-tube, the lower end of the main upright tube being closed;

6. In a vaporizing -apparatus the combination of the upright tube having its lower end closed, the burner-thimbleinounted in its upper end, the annular vaporizing-chamber near the burner, having one of its walls formed by the upright tube, the mixing-tube ofless length and diameter than the upright tube and located within the same, the vapordischarge tube leading from the vaporizingohamber and discharging down into the mixing-tube, and the air-conduits through the walls of the upright tube opening into the upper end of the mixing-tube, together with the needle-hole cleaner pivoted to the upright tube and extending in through one of the airconduits.

. right tube.

7. In a vapor-burning apparatus the con1- bination of the upright tube having its upper end open to form a mouth up through which the combustible mixture flows, the burner-thimble of less diameter-than the mouth of the upright tube and located within said mouth but fitting tightly to the body of the tube, and the annular vaporizing-chamber, one wall of which is formed by said upright tube, together with the incandescent mantle supported over said burner and extending down into the annular space between the burner-thimble and the mouth of the up Signed by me at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this 28th day of March, 1899.

ARTHUR KITSON.

Witnesses:

THOS. K. OBER, Jr., LOUIS R. BAKER. i 

